Stevens Point receives no bids on Stanley Street re-striping project

Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza speaks during a City Council special session at the Stevens Point Police Department, May 15, 2018, to hear public comment about controversial changes to Stanley Street.(Photo: Alexandra Wimley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

STEVENS POINT - A plan to convert part of a major thoroughfare in Stevens Point from four lanes to three lanes hit a snag this week when no companies submitted a bid for the project.

The city learned on Aug. 7 that two companies took out bidding documents but submitted no proposals to complete the project to re-stripe part of Stanley Street.

Public Works Director Scott Beduhn wrote in a report for the city's upcoming board of public works meeting, which was released Wednesday afternoon, that the companies found the schedule and requirements of the project acceptable. However, each company told the city about perceived challenges in meeting the requirements of the contract as reasons for not competing for the bid, according to the report.

Beduhn's report does not specify what those perceived challenges were.

"I don't know what's going to happen next," he said Wednesday morning about the city finding a contractor to do the project.

The Stanley Street project, as originally planned, would also add a four-way stop at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Stanley Street and a crosswalk at Clayton Avenue.

Beduhn said the City Council has some options:

Ask for bids again right away to do the project this year.

Consider doing the work later than planned and rebid the project this winter for next year's construction season.

Direct the street department to do the re-striping itself, although Beduhn said the city doesn't have the large vehicles needed to do the job most efficiently. Mayor Mike Wiza and Beduhn also said such a move would eliminate the bidding process and change the plan preliminarily approved by the City Council.

Drop the project. "It is an option and I don’t think that’s going to happen," Wiza said.

Beduhn and Wiza noted that the city has had a similar kind of hiccup before on a project. The city was unable to hire a contractor who would rebuild Isadore Street between school years as desired. In that specific case, they shifted the timeframe for the project to be later in the construction season to attract a contactor.

Beduhn said the market varies from year to year in terms of contractor availability, affected by factors such as the weather, the point in time of the construction season and workload.

"We're just in a very unique bidding environment right now. Last year, there was plenty of interest in these projects," Beduhn said.

Wiza said the city will discuss what to do next with the project on Monday at a board of public works meeting.